The Quebec City Convention Centre has 24 national and international conferences on its books related to the life sciences and health technologies, a thriving sector in the Canadian city, between 2022 and 2025. Quebec’s life sciences industry employs 56,000 across 456 companies and is worth $5.8 billion. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe has published an update of its 2020 study on The Impact of Coronavirus on Europes Convention Sector. The new report, prepared by Tourism Economics, provides three recovery scenarios to reflect the possible range of developments given the level of uncertainty about how the pandemic situation…
Alessandro Cortese leads ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) and has put a new notion at the centre of his meeting strategy: local legacy, or how much the hosting city will benefit from the event, measured by improvements in health. Here he discusses what could be the model of the future. From Eventoplus…
Last September, the “Incredible Impacts” programme run collaboratively by Iceberg partners ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance selected three winning associations for the meeting legacy projects they submitted. Each of the three had shown a dedication to creating legacies that went far beyond the conference walls. The three winners were: Ecocity Builders and the BCIT Ecocity…
A growing number of convention and exhibition sites across the world have started operating as temporary COVID-19 vaccination centres, getting anywhere from 500 to over 6,000 people vaccinated every day at each location. At the same time, an increasing number of markets around the globe have begun to reopen business events with varying COVID-19 protocols…
The European Society of Cardiology has said that its ESC Congress, the world’s largest gathering of heart specialists, will be back at ExCeL London in 2024. The society ran its 2015 event at the venue, bringing in more than 32,700 participants from 140 countries, and leaving a legacy of public involvement. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Three event industry associations, AIPC, UFI and ICCA, have published a guide on how event venues can successfully operate as temporary vaccination centres. The Iceberg partners’ new “Good Practice Guide: Convention and Exhibition Centres as Temporary Vaccination Centres” contains good practice examples from February and March. From Conference News…
The key role that conference ambassadors can play in a city’s fortunes has been highlighted by Dubai Business Events securing several international association events last year. The World Marinas Conference 2021, World Congress of Direct Selling 2023 and World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems 2024 were all secured by ambassadors. From Association Meetings International…
After eighteen months of research, the Future Meeting Space innovation network of the German Convention Bureau and the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO has presented its latest study project. The main findings of the research highlight the relevance of events in organisations’ communications mix. From GCB…
Almost three quarters of scientists want virtual meetings to continue, according to a new poll conducted by the magazine Nature. But survey respondents also gave compelling reasons for a balance of virtual and in person formats, thus combining the best of both worlds to maximise the benefits of each approach. From Associations Now…
The impact of the pandemic on Australia’s business events is well documented. The Business Council of Australia has reported a loss of AU$35 billion in direct expenditure for Australia’s economy and over 230,000 jobs affected. But what about the country’s knowledge economy, asks ICC Sydney CEO Geoff Donaghy? From Meetings International…
An “ambitious” plan to create a carbon reduction target for the business events sector has been presented, with the intention of launching during COP26. Positive Impact Events, an Iceberg partner, is hoping to raise £30,000 for the project, to be delivered under UN Framework Convention on Climate Change auspices. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The events industry is worth £70 billion annually to the UK economy in terms of visitor spend, over half of all tourism expenditure. £165 billion further of trade is transacted during business events. The Chief Executive of ICC Wales, Ian Edwards, profiles the UK business events industry’s current state of play. From Celtic Manor…
Gregg Talley, President and CEO of Iceberg partner Talley Management Group, believes Africa’s attraction as a business event destination should remain clear-cut after the pandemic. The continent is still “an incubator for innovation and an incredible cultural experience that connects us all to the cradle of humanity”. From Conference & Meetings World…
Events might have disappeared during the pandemic, but climate change hasn’t. We want to live in a world where events can take place, but also want to have a world to live in. Leading industry voices discuss sustainability, including two from Iceberg partners Global Destination Sustainability Movement and IMEX Group. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A partnership between the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and local scientific and industry leaders has secured 127 conferences for the city over ten years. BCEC’s conference ambassadors are recruited to win important meetings for the Queensland capital, including immunologist Professor Ian Frazer, who offers thoughts on COVID-19 vaccines. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The pandemic has questioned the role of the meetings industry and the function destinations now play. Five European convention bureaux, part of an informal alliance, share perspectives on how emerging as intellectual capitals may be key to staying relevant beyond the crisis: Glasgow, Copenhagen, Vienna, Brussels and Barcelona. From Boardroom…
Melbourne will be showcasing scientific know-how after winning bids for two major congresses. The city will host the International Mass Spectrometry Conference 2024 and also the International Symposium on Lepton and Photon Interactions in 2023. The two events will deliver AU$13.2 million to the state. From Association Meetings International…
The “new normal” notwithstanding, the preference across the industry for holding in-person meetings is clear. So what do both venues and destination marketing organisations need to focus on to maximise their attendance in-person now as hybrid meetings proliferate? Sarah Fleming, Managing Director of Sarah Fleming Associates, has some ideas on the subject. From Sarah Fleming…
The pause of face-to-face events has left a void of connection not fully filled by the switch to digital. Designers have to help guests feel more connected as they meet again. Iceberg partner Maritz Global Events’ Chief Behavioural Officer Charlotte Blank and Enterprise VP for Design Studio Greg Bogue explain. From Maritz Global Events…
COVID-19 has slammed the brakes on the international expansion of associations, their big conferences having been essential to delivering such goals prior to the pandemic. International Advisor Martin Sirk, of Iceberg partner Global Association Hubs, says that association-friendly regional destinations are the answer. From Boardroom…
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